What went wrong at Borders?

So what happened to Borders? An early innovator in controlling inventory, there was expert staff at its Ann Arbor headquarters and store managers who believed in the value of book-selling. At its peak, Borders superstores had all the attributes of good book-selling—extensive selections, browsing space, coffee bars, and outreach programs to surrounding communities. In 1998, Borders shares hit an all-time high of $41.75.


Read the full article here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/01/what-went-wrong-at-borders/69310/

Retail Sales Reports released : Results for 2010 are in

According to reports released this week, the 2010 holiday retail season was a slight improvement.  
Here are a couple of articles with different perspectives:

National revenue figures detail strong holiday sales period: 

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110107/BUSINESS/110107029/1003

Best holiday for retail sales in 4 years
http://www.newsday.com/business/best-holiday-for-retail-sales-in-4-years-1.2591730